The Cover Story (Branigan Powers Mystery #2) by Deb Richardson-Moore

A bizarre hit-and-run brings Branigan Powers back to the crime-solving beat

A fatal crash involving two college students heading home for the holidays seems like an unfortunate accident. But when the surviving girl wakens, she tells a curious story of the vehicle that forced them off the road--an old-fashioned, 1950s-style hearse.

Reporter Branigan Powers delves into the mystery that takes her to the college campus, and leads her into dangerous fraternity and sorority pledge parties.

Reunited with the homeless Malachi Martin, who is so adept at seeing what isn't there rather than what is, Branigan must uncover what is really going on at the college before other students are put in danger.

This second installment in the author's first cozy mystery series delves into the world of newspapers and life on the streets--both of which the author knows well.

About The Author

For 27 years, Deb Richardson-Moore was a reporter for "The Greenville (SC) News," winning three national writing awards and routine recognition from the South Carolina Press Association. She was a wife, mother of three, and that suburban cliche, a minivan-driving soccer mom.

She then took over the religion beat at "The News" and enrolled in a nearby seminary to learn more about it. Her life was never the same. She left the newspaper and earned a master of divinity degree. Because jobs for clergywomen were scarce in her own Baptist denomination, she accepted a job as pastor of the non-denominational Triune Mercy Center, a crumbling, inner-city mission church to the homeless.

"The Weight of Mercy" chronicles her first three turbulent years among her homeless congregants. Here's what novelist Davis Bunn, writer-in-residence at Oxford University, has to say about it:

"This is an amazingly well written work, a genuine testimony of hope in the dark recesses of our times. The words are laid out with an artist's precision, and their smoothness makes this not just a powerful read, but a genuine entry into a world we all need to know better. Perhaps the most important thing I can say about this is, I found Jesus in these pages. Highly recommended."

Deb is a graduate of Wake Forest University and Erskine Theological Seminary. She and her husband, Vince, have three grown children.


My Review

Can you imagine being forced off a road and careening down a hill, not really, but then you see it is a hearse that is hitting you repeatedly. That is the beginning of this story, and the driver of the jeep that is being forced off the road is Charlie, who happens to be Branigan’s niece, and a local reporter.
Something is going on and it seems to center on the local college’s sorority, and they own a hearse, odd I know, but they use it for Halloween and to celebrate engagements, ok? Now you are going to be wondering what does this have to do with a death and injuring of you coeds?
What a ride we have to find answers here, and yes there are some, but it blew my mind at what happens, I didn’t see it coming, full of surprises.
Once again we are with the homeless, and Pastor Liam with his big heart for the unfortunate, and Charlie is his daughter, but we also are back with Malachai a homeless man with a big heart.
What a tale the author has woven here, and this one is just as good as the first book that introduced us to Grambling GA, The Cantaloupe Thief, and you don’t want to miss that one. Is there a romance blooming here for our Branigan, sure hope so, I love being with her!
I received this book through Kregel Publishing Blogger Program, and was not required to give a positive review.